Protect Trees Toowoomba

07/10/2026

This Saturday, come picnic with us under some of the magnificent old trees of Highfields 🌳

The Tall Trees Community Picnic is a free, all-ages afternoon celebrating the trees, wildlife and community that make our region special.
🎶 Live music
🐦 Guest speakers
💚 Kids Activities
🎤 Community sing-along with Ecopella

🗓 Saturday 10 October
⏰ 3:00pm – 5:00pm
📍 Peacehaven Botanic Park, 56 Kuhls Road, Highfields

Bring a plate to share 🧺
We’ll start sharing food from 3.15pm, so bring something for the table, along with tongs or a serving spoon. Please keep your dish covered and label it for any dietary requirements.

We’ll provide paper plates, napkins, tea and coffee with dairy and plant milks. Bring a picnic rug or chair and a water bottle too.

The picnic is also a chance to show just how much our community values the tall trees and wildlife habitat that make places like Highfields so special. With Toowoomba’s new planning scheme approaching State Government review, there couldn’t be a better time to come together and celebrate what we want future generations to enjoy.

Bring your family, bring your friends, bring a plate — and we’ll see you under the tall trees. 🌳

RSVP here: https://actionnetwork.org/events/tall-trees-celebration-picnic? source=direct_link&

28/09/2026

Our campaign for transparent, accountable planning and strong community voices is continuing.

Over recent weeks, Protect Trees Toowoomba have been bringing people together to talk about a bigger question: who gets a meaningful say in decisions that shape our communities, our land and our environment?

That conversation has included the Tall Trees Community Forum, our upcoming Tall Trees Celebration Picnic, and discussions with landholders, community members and local representatives about the growing role of State Government in planning and development decisions.

Now, we have launched Queensland Parliament e-petition 4716-26 — Planning and Development Accountability and Democratic Integrity to draw attention to the effects of the State Development and Public Works Organisation (Critical Minerals) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2026 (the Act). The Act erodes community rights, landholder autonomy, and planning system integrity.

It requests the House to:
• Reverse the Act and establish accountable, transparent criteria for declarations of state significance or ministerial call-ins.
• Mandate published written reasons for every ministerial planning intervention decision.
• Restore judicial review, third-party appeal rights, and independent environmental assessments for agricultural land, water, and wildlife habitats.
• Cease political interventions in local planning schemes and temporary local planning instruments (TLPIs) that undermine community autonomy.

Read the full petition and add your name here: https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/Work-of-the-Assembly/Petitions/petition-details/4716-26

24/09/2026

The LNP planning minister Jarrod Bleijie MP started with removing developer donations to political partys, stopped Gympie Council from protecting the remaining Koala habitat in rural areas where the best soil was cleared for agriculture 100 years ago, then pretended to protect the best farm country in Qld from CSG but was actually removing protections, then he changed the rules so he can declare any private development start infrastructure with no community objection rights and now he is restricting legal objection to mining projects only to landholders he gives permission to.

Stand up for democracy, stand up for Queensland, stand up for Toowoomba getting a balance between habitat and development through our planning scheme as that is on his table next.

22/09/2026

On tonight. Help us protect the trees. 🌳

It’s not too late to RSVP for the Tall Trees Community Forum this Wednesday! 🌳

Join us at Highfields Tavern from 6pm for an evening exploring planning, community voice, local decision-making and what recent changes could mean for our region.

Hear from speakers with experience across local government, farming, campaigning and ecology — and find out how you can get involved.

📅 Wednesday 23 September
⏰ 6pm
📍 Highfields Tavern, 12 Highfields Road Highfields

RSVP: https://actionnetwork.org/events/tall-trees-community-planning-forum?source=direct_link&

10/09/2026

Protect Trees Toowoomba is bringing together communities from across the region to discuss increasing State Government intervention in local planning decisions and what this may mean for local democratic control, landholder rights and community participation in planning.

The forum will focus on Minister Jarrod Bleijie’s planning interventions and their implications for communities on the Darling Downs and beyond.

Speakers, including Gympie Councillor Gordon Maudsley will share their experiences and analysis of recent planning decisions — including what has been lost, what may be at stake, and why transparent, accountable planning processes matter.

Liza Balmain from Save Our Darling Downs will also speak about the experience of the LNP not yet delivering their response to protect the Condamine from Coal Seam Gas and the planning Minister's deception in delivering on this commitment.

The forum is open to landholders, community members, local advocates and anyone interested in how planning decisions are made in our region.
It will also provide an opportunity to hear different community experiences, ask questions and better understand why local voices and local knowledge need to remain part of decisions that shape our towns, rural areas and environment.

RSVP: https://actionnetwork.org/events/tall-trees-community-planning-forum?source=direct_link&

08/09/2026

25/08/2026

We’re seeing a broader pattern of State interventions across South East Queensland that are weakening local biodiversity protections. Protect Trees Toowoomba is concerned about the cumulative impact this could have on environmental mapping, ecological connectivity, and councils’ ability to implement tree protection policy through their planning schemes.
This is especially relevant as Toowoomba Regional Council develops its new planning scheme. Current public timelines are:

Request for State interest review — October 2026
Formal public consultation on the draft scheme — February–April 2027 (subject to State approval)

That’s why we’ve returned to fortnightly meetings — so we can stay across the detail, share information, and add our voice while the scheme is still being shaped.
Come along tonight (in person or online) and join the conversation.

04/08/2026

🐦 Tickets are still available for this Sunday’s Wildlife Nest Box Workshop!

Join us for a practical, hands-on workshop where you’ll build your own durable, medium-sized nest box while learning how nest boxes can support local birds, possums, microbats and other native wildlife.

Natural tree hollows can be limited, particularly in suburban areas. A well-designed and correctly placed nest box can provide an important place for wildlife to rest, shelter and raise their young.

You’ll leave with your completed nest box, ready to install in your own space.

🔨 Please bring a drill if you have one. A small number of spare drills will also be available.

🎟️ Book your ticket here:
https://events.humanitix.com/wildlife-nest-box-workshop

Spaces are limited, so secure your place before Sunday!

In collaboration with the Darling Downs Environment Council, you are invited to a hands-on workshop to build a good quality nest box that will last years while exploring how we can support local wildlife within our different environments.

In many of our spaces especially in suburban areas, natural tree hollows are limited. Nest boxes offer a meaningful way to give back, creating safe places for birds, possums, microbats, and other native animals to rest and raise their young over the seasons.

What to expect

You we will build a medium-sized nest box as you gain understanding around habitat needs, placement, and care.

You will leave with your own completed nest box, ready to take back to your space.

Please bring along a drill if you have one.
A small number of spare drills will be available if needed.

Get your tickets here: https://events.humanitix.com/wildlife-nest-box-workshop

28/07/2026

We are excited to invite you to our upcoming Ecopella- Sing for the Trees event 🌳🎶

Date: 1st August, 2026
Time: 9:00am
Location: Queens Park, Toowoomba (opposite the Farmers Markets, look for the cannon)

Come along and raise your voice for our precious forests and native trees! Ecopella is a joyful, community singing group using song as a powerful way to advocate for the environment. Whether you love to sing, want to learn some beautiful eco songs, or simply wish to stand with others in defence of our local trees and bushland, this is a wonderful, heart lifting morning.
We will be singing together in support of protecting our native forests from logging and celebrating the vital role trees play in our ecosystem, our climate and our wellbeing.

What to bring:
- your voice (no experience necessary!)
- Comfortable shoes and clothing for outdoor singing
- A reusable water bottle

All ages and singing abilities are warmly welcome. This is a family friendly, positive gathering full of connection, music and purpose.

14/04/2026